Electric-car-control apparatus



July 24, 1928. 1,678,533 P. A. RENTA ELEc'mm'cAR 001mm. APPARNIHS Filed Aug. L7 1925 2 sheets-shew 1 IN V EN TOR.

BY 6 ATTORNEY:

July 24, 192 8.,

P. A. RENTA ELECTRIC CAR CONTROL APPARATUS Filed Aug. 17, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENITOR. I BY Fizz): fl-fie/z/a A TTORNEY TEE ing through the contacts thereof to be dis- Patented July 24, 1928.

- 1,578533 PAT T) OFFICE.

IHILIP'A. RENTA, or new 'Y N;

ELEGTRIO-GAB-CONTROL AFIPARATUS.

[Application filed August 17. 1925. Serial No. 50,566. i

This invention relates to improvements in electric car control apparatus and the methd of operation thereof, andhas for its principal object, to provide a mechanism of this character which shall cause all current passtributed therefrom in one direction of flow,

without regard to the polarity in which it is received.

Another object is to make possible the 0p- 1 eration of cars on the metallic circuit systerm with the same simplicity and safety as isthe case when the ground return method is used, but without any change in the apparatus except the introduction of this device into the circuits thereof.

Another object is the elimination of a number'of cutouts, fuses, circuit breakers etc. which occur in theHret-urn, or low side of the circuit. r

I A further object "is-to provide a method of operation adapted for use with the mechanism hereinafterdescribed and shown-in the accompanying drawings. f

:Other objects and advantages'of this inventionwill be disclosed and explained in detail in the following specification.

Referring to the drawings: v r

l igurel shows a diagram ofthe' device claimed, connected in circuit with a car-wiring diagram of a type in general use where themetalliccircrrit system is inoperation.

Figure 2 shows another diagram of the idevice wi-th :a limited portion of the car-wiring system, the circuit breakers etc. being connected in parallel in this case.

.Figure 3 shows :a plan view of a car with posit-ions of. controller, motors, plow etc; in-

dica'ted thereon.

The main elements of the device claimed, are asfollows: anarmature located tween pole-pieces 11 and 12, has extending therefrom :an arm 13, attached to Which'and insulated -fromwhich are contact plates 14t-I5161718iand 19 adapted to con- 28 and 29 serve to'ho ld the arm- 1'3 in open position when the arm 13 is not controlled by current passing throughthe armature 10.

Additional contacts as shown at 30 and 31 though these said elements are not parts of the device here claimed. Power rails 38 and 89, contact shoes 40 and 41, plugs 42 and 4:3, circuit breakers 14 and 45, switches 46 and &7, door, contacts t849,,foot switches 50 and 51, controllers 5 2 and 53, motors 54 and 55, overload relay 56, resistances as indicated at '57- and .58, fuses as at 59 and 60,'a-nd plow as at 61. The device asshown is equipped with permanently magnetized pole pieces; these however, may be electro-magnetic when thatform is best suitedto the requirements. In further explanation of the device and its relation to the car control system, it may be said that it is located preferably under the floor and in proximity to the plow plugs replacing the main line switch which is eliminated by its use. Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings wire connects the contact shoe 41 now positiv or 1 as termed in the trade for positive to the plug" 48 and. from thence the circuit is carried over the wire, 37 to the contact poii1t'22, from whence it crosses to the contact 25 which connectsthrough the plate 18 with the contact :27, from which point the circuit extends to the circuit breaker is from which it further extends through the second circu-it breaker H) and onthrough the controller .52 or 58 and the .motors back to the contact point 21 and from thence to points a in parallel, from which'it passes through the motors etc. back through the negative or Twas termed in the trade for negative.

3 The, switches 16 and 47 with the door contacts'asshownat 48 and 49 together with footswitches 50 and 51 are all in series with the armature 10, thus providing against the starting of the car, should any door be open,

or otherswitch out of contact, as in that event the current would be out off from the said armature and the switcharm 13 would 'beswung into neutral position by thcsprings 28 and 129., In this position, it is obvious that no current could pass to the operating mechanism of the car. It will be seen that as long as thepolarity of the current recmainsjthe same the switch arm 13 will be held in contact with thepoints above described by reason of the magnetic action of the armature 10, but should the polarity be changed, as frequently occurs in the use of the metallic circuit? system, then the change of direction of current through the armature coil 10 will cause the arm 13 to swing over to the opposite set of contacts through which the positive current arriving at the contact 24 would pass through the contact 26 and thence to the circuit breaker 44 at which point it will arrive having the same direction of flow as in the first. in stance. From thence it follows the same course as before up to its arrival at the point 20, from which it passes through the point to the rail 38 which is now the negative conductor. The control circuit illustrated, differs somewhat in detail from those in operation on many railroads, they being subject to constant change due to the adoption of new inventions and to improvements in general.

. t is pointed out that. contacts 20, 22, 24 and 26 may be considered as one point of a two point switch, the'second' point being contacts 21, 23, 25 and 27. Furthermore relative to the main electrical conductors of the car, contacts 20 and 26 constitute double pole contacts, and similarly contacts 21 and 2'? constitute second double pole con tacts. As clearly shown on the drawing contacts 20 and 21 are connected in series relative to the first point. and the second point of the two point switch, and contacts 26 and 27 are connected in series relative to the points of the same switch. Relative to the current collecting device of the car, contacts 22 and 24 constitute double pole contacts, and contacts 23 and 25 constitute second double pole contacts. Contacts 23 and 24 are connected in series relative to the points of the switch, and contacts 22 and 25 are connected in series, also relative to the points of the switch. The arrangement of the contacts 20, 21, 26 and 27 is now defined as one. set of double pole, two point switch contacts, and the arrangement of the contacts 22, 23, 24 and 25 is now defined as a set of double pole, two point switch contacts.

Devices such as speed limit relays, limit switches, dead mans valve etc., may be connected in series with the device here shown when desired.

In addition to the above described advantages in the use of this device, it will also prevent many fires and accidents in car barns or the like, now caused by inexperienced workmen by reason of changes in polarity undetected by them in the course of their work of cleaning and overhauling the cars. 1

It will-be understood that this description and accompanying drawings serve to show my invention only in its preferred form. Minor changes in construction etc.

maybe adopted without sacrificing the scope ot the claims thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is as follows:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination or car motors, power leads therefor, a polarized relay having a projecting contact arm, a pair of contacts on each side of the contact arm, stationary contacts straddling the contact arm and arranged four on each side, so that with the contact arm in one position, the pair of contacts on one side of the contact arm engage with the four stationary contacts on the same side, and with th contact arm in another position the pair of contacts on'the other side ofthe contact arm engage with the other four stationary contacts, every one contact on the contact arm being engageable with two adjacent contacts of the said stationary contacts, a connect-ion from the first contacts of the said two rows of four contacts, counting from the end of the contact arm, to the current return of the car motors, a connection from the fourth contacts of the said two rows of four contacts to'th'e current supply of the car motors, a connection from the second contact of one row to the third contact of the other rowand to one of the power leads, and another connection from the third contact to the second contact and to the other of the power'leads, so that upon a change in polarity of the power leads, the contact arm moves from one position to another to not alter the polarity of the current supply to the same carmotors.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of electrical equipment, power leads therefor, a relay having a projecting contact arm, a pair of contacts on each side of the contact arm, stationary contacts strad dling the contact arm and arranged four on each side, so that with the contact arm in one position, the pair of contacts on the contact arm engage with the four stationary. contacts on the same side, and with the contact arm in another position thepair of contacts on the other side of the contact arm engage with the other four stationary contacts, every one contact on the contact arm being engageable with two adjacent'contacts of the said stationary contacts, a connection from the first contacts of the said two rows of four contacts, counting from'the end of the contact arm, to the current return of the electrical equipment, a connection from the fourth contacts oi": the said two rows of four contacts to the current supply of the electrical equip went, a connection from the second contact of one row to the third contact of the other row and to one of the power leads, and another connection from the third contact to the second contact and to the other of the power leads, so that upon a change in polarity of the power leads, the contact arni moves from one position to another to not alter the polarity of the current supply to the electrical equipment.

3. In a device of the character described, a double pole current collecting device, main electrical conductors, a polarized relay with double pole contacts, and two sets of double pole two point switch contacts, one set being connected to the said double pole current collecting device and the other set being connected to the said lnain electrical conductors, and arranged so that when one of the ized relay, this group of contacts will be in double'pole, series connection between the current collecting device and the main electrical conductors, and when the other point of the two sets of contacts is engaged by the said double pole contacts of the polarized relay, the second set will be in double pole series connection between the same current I signature.

PHILIP A. RENTA. I 

